Walt Disney Co. has named Horacio Gutierrez as senior executive VP, general counsel and secretary for the company, succeeding Alan Braverman, who is retiring after nearly two decades as General Counsel at the end of the year, announced by Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer.

As General Counsel and Secretary, Gutierrez will serve as the chief legal officer of the Company, overseeing its team of attorneys responsible for all aspects of Disney’s legal affairs around the world, and acting as a strategic advisor to executive leadership and the Board of Directors.

His areas of accountability will include litigation, compliance, transactional law, securities law, regulatory matters, privacy protection, global ethics, and patent, copyright, and trademark issues, among others.

Earlier, Guttierez is at Swedish streaming audio giant Spotify, where he was head of global affairs and chief legal officer.

Prior to joining Spotify, Gutierrez was Corporate Vice President and General Counsel for Microsoft, overseeing the company’s legal affairs around the world, including support of the complete lifecycle of Microsoft’s products and services, from research and development to business development activities, M&A, litigation, legal compliance, and cybercrime prevention.

He initially joined Microsoft in 1998 as Corporate Attorney, LATAM, and held several positions of increasing responsibility throughout the legal department during his 17-year tenure with the company, including Associate General Counsel, EMEA from 2002 to 2006; Deputy General Counsel, Intellectual Property and Licensing Group from 2006 to 2014; and Deputy General Counsel, Products and Services Group from 2014 to 2015.

Gutierrez holds a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School; a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law; and a Bachelor of Laws degree and post-graduate diploma in corporate and commercial law from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, Venezuela.

Speaking up on the appointment, Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer, Disney+Hotstar said, “Horacio is an incredibly skilled attorney and dynamic leader who comes to Disney with 35 years of legal experience in markets around the globe.”

“Having spent more than two decades working for premier technology companies, he has an extensive understanding of the complex legal questions that come with technological disruption and rapid industry change. Horacio is a key addition to my leadership team, and I look forward to working with him as he builds on Alan’s outstanding legacy leading our unparalleled legal organization, Chapek added.

Commenting on his new role, Horacio Gutierrez said, “I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead Disney’s global legal organization, to work with Bob Chapek and his leadership team, and to contribute to one of the most admired and beloved companies in the world as it builds on its many strengths and transforms for the future.”

“It is a particular honor for me to succeed Alan Braverman, an iconic figure in the legal profession, who over the last two decades has built one of the largest and most admired legal departments in the world, Gutierrez added.